McMenamin's Tavern

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Reviews by SkinnyElvis:

Reviewing this place is like reviewing my wife since I have been coming to McMenamin's for about 10 years and it is hard for me to be objective. This is the spot that I discovered craft beer & is the perfect neighborhood bar. The crowd is a great mix of locals from Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill & is extremely friendly. It is also very kid-friendly which I appreciate now.

The beer selection is always good and on days verges to outstanding. Excellent bar food at a good price. The burgers are the best along with the fish & chips. The outside deck is great in the summer. There is not a better place in the city to watch any Eagles game plus the rare playoff games that we get for our other teams. It does get crowded often but since I have kids we come "off-hours" to avoid that problem. The only thing this place is lacking is a better bottle selection but the draft beer makes up for it.

Stopped by after going to Earth, Bread, Brewery for dinner, about a 30 second walk down Germantown Ave. The place looks like your typical neighborhood bar, and when we got there it was pretty crowded. We were fortunate to grab 2 seats at the end of the bar and the bartender had drinks in my hand in about 30 seconds. The draft list is pretty good, 15 taps and a hand pump. Unfortunately, the cask of 75 minute had kicked just before our arrival. I had a PtE and a RR sanctification on this visit. We didn't try the food. Overall it has a good vibe, a good crowd, and a nice tap list. I wiil return on my next trip to earth, bread.

Been coming here on and off for the past ten years so I guess it's time for a review.

A- McMenamin's is a bar on germantown avenue in philly. You walk in to a bar area with a semi dark look but a inviting enviornment. Beer signs on the wall, old bottles of beer on the high shelf, including a fairly old Chimay Blue with the old label. It's pretty small and gets fairly cramped. A dining area towards the back, kinda no frills but thats what this place goes for. Also a outside seating area for a nice night.

Q- The lines are clean and the food comes out looking good, "what more can I say" (C)-Pharrell. This place is pretty clean as well with a respectable bathroom. No complaints.

S- Never had a problem with service here. It's a small place so It's kinda hard to get bad service here. Friendly with a smile. I never really did chat it up with the bartenders here though.

S- A fairly great selection here for the beer. It's not the boldest selection but possibly in fact the best in the area. About 15 taps in total with some BMC thrown in to keep the lights on. I recently had some Port 4th anniversary here and my mouth was salivating on how good it was. This place does not put on any big events so it's pretty low key, I think that's what they are going for and I kinda like that. A decent sized bottle selection mostly consisting of big bombers. I believe they do to go and growlers as well. Come by for a pint and a bite.

F- I love the food here, the fries rock, that is all.

A low key beer bar in a section of the city that's kinda dry in terms of places to go for good brew. It's 30 seconds from Earth Bread & Brewery so it's always a spot to hit up for a mini bar crawl. I like this place, Alot!!!

This is the closest thing in the Philadelphia area to a European pub. The actual establishment is small - small bar with a back room "restaurant" section. Parking is great and free! You are likely to encounter ANYONE in here - such a great multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-socioeconomic hodge-podge. And the staff is VERY down-to-earth and friendly. There are regulars, but anyone walking into this place feels at home. The food is surprisingly good as well. Beer selection isn't vast- around 15 taps and one hand-pulled - but there is a good mix of things to fit the mixed clientele. This is simply the epitome of warm and cozy neighborhood bar and should be on everyone's list of places to try in Philadelphia.

On my first trip to Earth Bread yesterday, the bartender recommended that I check this tavern out. So I walked 30 yards down Germantown Ave and entered McMenamin's Tavern. First off it seemed like a popular place and the people seemed pretty fun / friendly. Nice amount of craft taps plus European staples works for me! The one bartender that helped me seemed nice and into beer. The other servers seemed a bit less focused on providing an experience to the consumer.

Didn't try the food but the guy next to me swore by the wings. The menu looked more than solid for a pub btw. I told him to try Capone's 25 cent wing special and get back to me :) Prices seemed fair and I enjoyed the quick pint of Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter that I had before heading back to my hotel in Plymouth Meeting. It was especially nice stopping here after Earth Bread considering Earth Bread concentrates more on session beers while McMenamins had "bigger" craft choices.

Seventeen rotating taps including cask. The tap list is always balanced with Belgian quads and tripels, German pils, IPA, DIPA, porters, stouts, etc. Bottle selection is great to and recently expanded to include Green Flash and Stone IPA. Note: The draft beer is served with virtually no head as that is how they choose to do it. You don't get cheated on a pour though. As for the atmosphere it's basic neighborhood with a friendly mix of young and old black and white and everything inbetween. Tunes can be hit or miss depending upon the bartender as they control the tunes. If you go to McMenamins long enough they'll know your names and break balls; it's that kind of place. I really need to eat more of there entrees. I've never been disappointed by any of them particularly since they hired a new chef several years ago. What I typically get are chicken salad sandwich, Caesar salad and wings. None taste by the numbers. Great bar for local sports and the Birds inparticular. About a dozen flatscreens with NFL ticket.

Well this was after we went to Earth Bread and what a place to stop at during your visit. Has a nice feel in the place comfortable and warm. The bartender's are nice and very helpful. As you walk in the bar is right in front of you with a couple of tables to your right and a large dining area in back.Also a nice covered patio section( good thing because it was drizzling at the time ).

My wife and I sat in front of the bar at a table and I ordered Fuller's Tripel which was served in a chalice which was excellent. My wife had a Brown Ale sorry couldn't remember the name of it. Both were exceptional. They had 15 taps and one on the beer engine which was Sly Fox 113 IIPA.The tap selection was nice mixed with some hard to find one's like the one I had and some easier to find one's Kenzinger etc.

As we are sitting there looking around my wife says it."We need one of these places around us". I couldn't agree more our area sucks for craft breweries. We have a dozen bars and none of them have nearly the selection this place has. That is just sad.

A great place to come to if you are just strolling around town. I will be back.

A- finally checked this place out, very clean but the bar had character, cool beer signage throughout. A nice big bar with a few tvs, a dartboard (electric... but still a dart board). A nice area in back for dinner, we got there kinda late though

Q- The beer selection was nice, about 15 or so on draft. I dont want to name names but a really really nice selection of IPAs, Belgiums, stouts, and some other treats. The bottle selection was awesome, some hard to find belgians and domestics

F- didnt get to have any food, but the wings smelled AMAZING

I cant wait to go back here again, bartender was super friendly and the locals all seemed nice. I hear the draft selection changes alot

Nice neighborhood sports bar with pretty good comfort/ bar food and a decent selection of beer. With all of the high reviews that this place received on BA and other sites I thought that the selection would be a lot better. They had a small but decent list, some nice german beer on draft, but nothing that I was too excited about. The service and food were average but overall not too expensive. $7 was the cheapest I ever paid for an Orval in Philly. Decent but not worth seeking out if you don't live in town.

This place is on the way home from work for me, so I've become a bit of a regular. Friendly people all around, including the bartenders. It frequently gets noisy, especially during Eagles games, so both conversation and tracking down a bartender can be difficult sometimes. Usually 2 bartenders pouring drinks and serving food for the entire house (including the outdoor dining area), and one barback.. Sometimes the owner stops in and helps out.

Both food and beer are priced reasonably, except for the Belgians and take-out beer. Most draughts are $4-5, and the Belgian draughts are closer to $7-8 for a 10.5 oz pour. I've only taken out a 6 pack once, and it ran me $13 (it was Brooklyn Brown). Perhaps I'm just used to NY/MA prices. You can generally get a decent meal (pub fare) for under $10, but it you want to splurge a little, their specials are great, and none are usually over $20. The Fish/Chips and Hot Roast Beef au jus are two of my mainstays.

Selection is very good, probably the biggest reason I keep coming back. They just had Pliny the Elder recently and I think I showed up everyday until it was gone! They've got one cask engine, but in the three months I've been living/working here, it's always been Yards ESA. I've read some favorable reviews of this beer here on BA, but I'm not impressed by it.. I'd love to see them switch it up with something from Middle Ages, or maybe Bluebird Bitter if they could find it. They don't keep a paper menu of drafts/bottles, which can be a drag if you're not sitting at the bar or if your vision is starting to get a little blurred.

Great bar,very nice wood,dark colored.Bar that seats about 20 people.Great bartenders.Didn't try any food.Nice patrons,no shady people.Pints of Pliny were 5 bucks and they were filled to the brim.Thee was one loud mouthed patron there but she was a human pot hole. LOL I LOVE THAT TERM. I recommend going here.It really is a diamond in the rough.The selection was diverse.They had a Ok bottle selection.I will for sure stop here again when the new brew pub opens up.

Ahhh yes a freindly neighborhood bar, with great beer selection and within walking distance, now this is a combination that enhancing my property value in my opinion. I'm writing this because each time I go here my experience is meeting or exceeding my expectations.

I have been to this establishment on numerous occassions and all different and pleasing. I have had great meals and fabulous local, west coast, and belgian beers outside in the warm cafe like setting with friends and had great service for dinner. I've had meals with my family and the place is kid freindly, Yess!! I have had a fun time with my wife there for a weekday lunch. Food and service was good and draft selections were excellent. Try the specials they can be a delicious full meal that is manageable for lower budgets. They always keep you guessing with some nice draft selections that are harder to find especially in this part of the city. Usually have a good beer cask conditioned. I have been there on busy evenings and have not waited too long for a draft as well. On emergencies I have picked up late night six packs of good beer to go too! The bar really has a nice feel to it, very neighborhood feel, various places to sit and there are a few TV's to check out the important big games and the crowd is a mix of all sorts of pleasing people. Haven't encountered stuffiness or frat-boy childishness. A very welcoming atmosphere overall. This place loves and respects good beer so they have my loyalty.

*Updated 6/7/07*
If you live in NW Philly there isn't much in the way of beer greatness. I mean if you don't want to deal with the parking headaches of Manayunk. Where do you turn? You head to this gem in Mt. Airy!

I almost wrote this place off after some poor service. It always was great except for food orders never being put in or having to scream bloody murder to get a servers attention. I realized that it was always when this one dude was managing & the owner (PJ) was not there. Well I took a chance last week after being away for about 3 months and it was much improved. The aforemention dude was not to be seen and PJ took my order. PJ is so dedicated. People like him and Scoats of Grey Lodge fame deserve major props for bringing craft beer to the neighborhoods.

So the beer is rotated every few days. They move their product very fast. In the 3 hours I was there they kicked 2 beers. You will have to call ahead because they do not have a website to tell you what's on tap. They will always have your usual Great Britain/Eire on tap...after all the owner is a Mick. No American or Euro swill to be found on the taps. They have a nice bottle selection that tilts to Belgians. Plus they have one hand pump cask...usually Yards ESA. Ther est of the taps are mostly non-local craft beers (Standard Tap take note!) Beers are always served in the appropriate glassware and all three of the people that tend bar know there stuff.

I went on a Wednesday with a BA friend so it was not as crowded. Note: this place is never dead...I mean never! Its because its centrally located and in a walkable neighborhood. Plus they get lots of families for dinner.

The fact that people bring their families tells you that this ain't just crap bar grub. They have standard bar foods but they always try to mix it up with some interesting specials.

Finally, what I really like is that no other bar on the Philly B.A. Top Ten (or is that 20?) has as diverse group of punters (ok so they only use that slang in London and Essex...sue me). I mean all walks of life. Diversity...it's a beautiful thing. Oh and if you like American football, this is a great place to watch the Eagles (if you aren't claustrophobic).

Given its location two blocks from my house, I ought to start by admitting my obvious bias. McMenamin's fits the bill for a quintessential neighborhood bar, complete with all the qualities you would expect: a low-key atmosphere, good comfort food, friendly staff; and it's always packed with the local crowd, though it never comes off as territorial. But it's also a decent beer bar. As a result, you feel welcome whether you're sipping at one of their chalkboard imports or just ordering a Yeungling. And the crowd has that same variety, embodying the eclectic spirit of Mt. Airy.

A dozen or so taps feature seasonal locals, various micros, and good imports on a rotating basis. Along with a steady arsenal of bottled favorites, it always provides for a decent selection. Not an overwhelming selection by any means, but it's well chosen and frequently dotted with some real gems. The food rarely disappoints, from the standard pub fare to the varying specials menu, which is always a good bet. The one downside that I should mention is that although the service is especially friendly, the place constantly seems to run under-staffed, so expect a wait at the bar trying to get the bartender's limited attention. All told, a quality establishment on so many levels.

**Edited 3/30/07
I used to go to McMenamins frequently because I used to work at Lincoln Drive and Wissahickon Ave. McMenamin's is the only beer bar in the Germantown/Mt. Airy neighborhoods (I think). There is a free parking lot behind it to the left, but now that the gym opened there are rarely empty spots in it, unless you try to go on a weeknight about 9pm. If the parking lot is full, you will find a meter on Germantown Ave. in no time.

Is this bar ALWAYS this crowded? It doesn't matter if its 5pm or 1am, this bar is very popular and most likely packed. McMenamin's features high top round tables in the bar area that can squeeze 4-5 people around them, and I usually go for those. I've sat in the dining room before and the craic just ain't the same.

Paul is my favorite bartender out of the usual 3 (although the blond guy Mike is also pretty efficient). He is so nice, he shoots the shit with everyone, regular or not. Paul hustles to service almost all of the bar area by himself on some nights. Lately there has been a 2nd bartender helping him out, but I have seen him run the whole place with just one barback, and the cook!

The selection frequently rotates like Grey Lodge, and Capone's, and is fairly outstanding in freshness and variety. There is always a new or surprise beer I end up loving on tap every time I come in. The first best thing about McMenamin's is that they always have a regular IPA on tap (no double or imperial IPAs).

The second best thing about McMenamins is the 3-shelf beer-and-local-free-paper library featuring Ale Street News, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, BA magazine, City Paper, etc., located just to the right of the old-school map of Mt. Airy. The map artist should be given a credit on this review, because it reflects everything this bar is about: the neighborhood.

Inside the bar, and like the other bar/restaurant on this block (NxNW), the crowd is diverse which leads to the best kind of bar experience one can have. If I wanted to drink with stuffy, middle-aged white tourists all the time, I'd regularly go to Monk's or Ludwig's. But I don't, so thats why I like McMenamin's. This bar is located in one of the coolest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Mount Airy is historical, diverse, walkable, plus the Wissahickon creek and Forbidden Drive is like 1-2 miles away for you health nuts/outdoorsy types.

The regular menu is consistently good and the dinner specials are always above average. I love this place, but I wish they had a jukebox (its very popular with the sports watchers and games are always on the TV's). At least the men are kept happy LOL.

McMenamenamenamenamenamin's. None of us could say it. Still can't. No matter. A good recovery for (Evil) Davo upon taking us to the Grey Lodge for lunch and finding them not serving as such for another few hours. It was all agenda, as there would be other places up North and back in Philly again but for now, beer and a bite...
We sat in the back room 'cause that's how we roll. A dozen and some 2 seat tables, pushed together here and there for fours or more. Walls wood panelled lowers against beige uppers with a pale green trim. 2 TV's to the rear and a flatscreen to the side. Phili prints, some good "takin' the Vet down" action. A small nook towards the front holds a pair of arcade games (the Ms. Pacman/Galaxa combo and video bowling) and a dartboard in what seems a strangely dangerous location. The front room holds an "L" shaped bar seating a dozen plus, with a 6 raised bar tables forward and along the side. A large mirrored back bar unit with TV's at each end and a pair of TV's above, pressed tin ceiling trimmed with spotlighting and center ceiling fans. Harp & Newcastle pub signs and sports pennants riddled about.
Standard pub grub; apps, salads, burgers, sandwiches. I had a burger, I got to pick a cheese and everything, crazytown!! There were fries, yes.
16 taps or so, kind of hard to tell. Some of the tap handles didn't quite jive with the listings on the blackboards (Corsendonk Xmas, Young's Winter Warmer, Franziskaner Dunkel, Kwak, Urthel IPA, Jever Pils, Beamish, Harp, Smithwicks, Hoegaarden, Pilsner Urquell, Sly Fox IPA, Lefthand Xmas, Yards Thomas Jefferson Ale, Stoudts Fat Dog Stout, Woodchuck Cider). Cask offering was Yards ESA, so I gone and got me a pint. Solid. Well kept.
A bunch of bottles line the bar above. Chimay, Duvel, Delirium Tremons, Chouffe, Youngs, Ommegang, Victory, Yards, Flying Fish, Brooklyn, Stoudts, macros and more.
Another bar with good regional micros and a cask. What an awful goddamn town this Philadelphia is.

This is the kind of place that could shift ratings by a few points depending when you go in.

Atmosphere is usually decent, some scattered tables and a 2/3rds bar, with a stack of the day's papers on a table to the left for browsing. Sometimes, however, it gets incredibly crowded (meaning "you can't move" crowded), and as smoky as any bar that I've been to in Philly. The back area, with a few deli tables and chairs loses a few more points, but things rebound back up when you go outside to the delightful, chain-link fenced "biergarden," which actually is quite delightful in the spring and fall. If you're there during the day, the outside is the place to be. Great, great, football crowd here, by the way (especially when the Iggs are playing).

Quality is decent, but not mindblowing. Lew says that this place has the best cared for cask beer in the city, but I don't know about that (my vote goes to the General Lafayette). Still, I've never had a sour pint or short pour, so a 4.0 it is.

Service is decent, although in the hub-bub (and even otherwise), it's hard to get attention. If you tip heavy early on, however, you'll never be left feeling lonely by your tender.

Selection either under or overwhelms -- there's no middle ground. Yes, the cask Yards ESA is good, but most of the selections will be ho-hum, middle of the road. Of course, then one day, you walk in, and there's vintage Samichlaus on, for 7 dollars a PINT, or Pliny the Elder (one of the only places I've seen it in Philly) for a wallet-emptying 5. It's incredibly hard to tell when these gems show up, and they usually kick within 48 hours, so you have to be quick on the draw, and in the know. It's at least one reason to make a regular trip over here.

Food is pretty good, specializing in deli foods, like their club sandwiches. Fish and chips is pretty good, pairing up beautifully with the ESA, and bringing out the butter in each.

Value is fine, prices aren't a knockout, but they aren't cheap either. During football season, they run a buy-one, get-one Monday Night special on the cheaper (but still decent) items on the tap list. Take out prices are pretty high, however, no matter when you go -- Union Jack's, a few miles away in Glenside, is better for that.

All in all, not a bad joint, but not a place I'd want to hang out at alone. Go with friends.

***
Why To Make The Scene: Because it's the best bar for miles to watch the Eagles play at -- especially a Monday Night game.

I kept hearing good things about this place and a friend of mine lives a few blocks away, so I finally made my way here. The building is surprisingly small. I had thought it to be bigger, but it has a very open feel to it with a bar up front and dinner seating in the rear. The place looked very clean as well; a characteristic lacking in too many establishments. It was only mildly decorated, but it had a very nice feel to it. The service we had was prompt, knowledgeable and friendly. The food came in a reasonable amount of time and was rather tasty. I had an order of their buffalo wings, and they were top notch. For dinner, I had a turkey club with no less than 11 layers of deli turkey. It was so tall, I had trouble biting it. No skimping here. For drinks, I was amazed with the selection. I had a bottle of Hennepin from Ommegang, and a Corsendank X-mass ale. Both were very nice. Their bottle selection was numerous (30 or so?) and on tap they had, Beamish, harp, Woodchuck, Smithwicks, Hoegarden, Kwak, Cask yards ESA, Youngs Winter Ale, Thomas Jefferson Ale, Fat Dog Stout, Sly Fox Pale Ale, Mad Elf, Franciskanner, Corsendank, Left Hands X-mass ale, and Pilsner Uriquel. A wonderful selection for a tiny neighborhood bar. This is just a fantastic place and Ill be sure to visit again.

Another awesome bar in philly. One of all too many. Atmosphere is nice. A nice long wooden bar and some small round tables as well. There is also a seated area in the back for eaters of food. Ale quality here is quite exceptional. My ESA did seem to taste better here than at other establishments. Quite a feat in itself. Servie was fast and kind. Just how I like it. Selection was great. ESA on the handpump, and 20 or so micros pouring out of the taps. They had robert the bruce from three floyds on draught which impressed me, as did the inclusion of old dominions latest winter seasonal. I did not try the food, but I assume it is quite good. A nice neighberhood bar, that should be in my neighberhood :-)